What is the Difference Between Ethnic Cleansing and Genocide?

Ethnic cleansing and genocide are both crimes against humanity, but they differ in their objectives and the methods used to achieve them. Here are the main differences between the two:

1. Objective: Ethnic cleansing aims to displace a persecuted population from a given territory, while genocide seeks to destroy a group. Some academics consider genocide to be a subset of "murderous ethnic cleansing".
2. Intent: Genocide is specifically targeted at the intentional destruction of an ethnic group, while ethnic cleansing focuses on the expulsion of a group with a view to encouraging or at least tolerating its survival elsewhere.
3. International Recognition: Genocide is recognized as a crime under international law, as defined by the United Nations in the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. Ethnic cleansing, on the other hand, has not been officially recognized as an independent crime under international law.
4. Methods: Techniques of ethnic cleansing can include murder, torture, arbitrary arrest and detention, extrajudicial executions, sexual assault, confinement of civilian populations in ghetto areas, forcible removal, and other forms of violence. Genocide may involve similar methods, but with the specific intent to destroy a group.
5. Legal Standards: Genocide is punishable under international law, and any person found guilty of carrying it out will be tried by a tribunal. The lines between ethnic cleansing and genocide can become blurred, and the international community may struggle to establish a legal standard for genocidal intent.

In summary, the main difference between ethnic cleansing and genocide lies in their objectives and the methods used to achieve them. Ethnic cleansing aims to displace a group, while genocide seeks to destroy a group. Genocide is recognized as a crime under international law, whereas ethnic cleansing is not officially recognized as an independent crime under international law.

Comparative Table: Ethnic Cleansing vs Genocide

The main difference between ethnic cleansing and genocide lies in the intent of the perpetrator and the nature of the actions taken. Here is a table comparing the two:

Ethnic cleansing has not been defined and is not recognized as a crime under international law, according to the U.N.. However, it does involve the targeting of individuals due to their membership in an ethnic group and can involve coercive practices such as murder, torture, arbitrary arrest and detention, extrajudicial executions, rape, and sexual assaults. Genocide, on the other hand, is specifically defined and recognized as a crime under international law, with five acts that can constitute genocide if done "with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group".